Key facts
- President Zelenskyy is seeking a bilateral drone deal with the US, emphasizing the potential for cooperation on AI technologies and battlefield experience.
- Ukraine is preparing a significant drone deal with the European Union.
- Ukraine has conducted drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, including oil refineries and fuel depots.
- Recent attacks have resulted in casualties and power outages in both Ukraine and Russia.
- Ukraine has received a new Iris-T missile launcher and is requesting more air defence ammunition.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is actively seeking a bilateral drone deal with the United States, emphasizing the mutual benefits of combining American AI technology with Ukraine's extensive battlefield experience. He expressed hope for an agreement similar to those being prepared with the EU and some Middle Eastern and European countries.
Zelenskyy's comments come amid ongoing Ukrainian strikes targeting Russian energy infrastructure. Recent attacks have hit Rosneft's Saratov oil refinery, a pumping station in the Kirov region, and a fuel depot in the Rostov region, causing significant fires. These strikes aim to disrupt Russia's war effort.
Meanwhile, the conflict continues to inflict casualties. A truck driver died in a Russian drone attack on a parking lot in Ukraine's northern Chernihiv region, where 40,000 people were also left without power. Russian drones also struck the city of Dnipro and an oil refinery in the Rivne region, resulting in one death and nine injuries. In a Russian-held part of southern Kherson, a child was killed and 11 people injured by a Ukrainian drone strike on an apartment building.
Ukraine has bolstered its air defence capabilities with the arrival of a new Iris-T missile launcher from Germany. However, Zelenskyy stressed the urgent need for more air defence ammunition to effectively counter Russian attacks.